Life Goes On
by Steifa
Summary: FF7/8 Crossover originally posted as "The Doors" on the FF8 board. A different approach to what happens to our heroes (and villians) after they save the world (or try to destroy it).
1. Default Chapter

Preface: Originally posted on the FFVIII board a while ago. I figure it belongs here.  
  
Disclaimer: Own nothing. Now you all know.  
  
Setting: Three years after Squall & Co. defeated Ultimacia  
  
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"The Returnee"  
  
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"Excuse me sir, are you available?" beeped the intercom in Squall's office.  
  
"Yeah, why?" answered Squall.  
  
"There's a man here to see you." said the intercom. Then, "Hey! Watch out!"   
  
"Yo Squall, get your butt down here now." said Zell over the intercom.  
  
"OK Zell." answered Squall. 'Good old Zell,' he thought, 'If only he wasn't so hyper.' 'But,' he also wondered, 'what could make happy-go-lucky Zell sound so worried?'  
  
Squall found out when he saw who his visitor was. Seifer Almasy, his nemesis, standing there in the com room totally relaxed. Squall's first instinct was to draw his gunblade and rip Seifer a few new scars, but he restrained himself when he saw that Seifer was unarmed. Also, Irvine and Rinoa had their weapons trained on him.  
  
Seifer smirked, as he had divined the reason why Squall was reaching toward his hip where Lionheart lay.  
  
"Squall, long time no see. What's up?" he asked remaining completely oblivious of the two weapons pointed at him, as well as those that wielded them.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be in prison?" asked Squall, still cautious because unarmed or not, Seifer could still be dangerous.  
  
"Sentence is up." said Seifer. "I've paid my debt to society."  
  
"So you say." said Zell.  
  
Seifer ignored him, and then looking over Squall's shoulder said, "Hello Headmaster."  
  
Everyone turned and saluted Headmaster Cid who had just walked in, except for Rinoa and Irvine who merely nodded at him.  
  
"Hello all." said Cid to the main group. "Good, you're back." he said speaking to Seifer. "Ready to report for duty?" he continued.  
  
"Yes sir." said Seifer saluting.  
  
"Good then." said Cid.   
  
"Hold on a second." said Squall. "Seifer isn't a SeeD."  
  
"Yeah I am." said Seifer. "I've been one for years."  
  
"Am I missing something here?" asked Zell.  
  
"Yes." said Cid. "Seifer will explain it to all of you tomorrow. Now, back to your posts." Then he turned and walked away.  
  
The room fell silent.  
  
"So, where are Fujin and Raijin?" asked Seifer. "I wanted to meet up with them."  
  
"They're in their dorms. They just passed their SeeD test last year." answered Squall automatically. 'Something is different about Seifer.' he thought. 'Or is it something familiar? Have I seen someone like him recently?'  
  
"Cool. See ya'll tomorrow." said Seifer as he walked toward the dorm rooms.  
  
"Should we follow him?" asked Irvine keeping Seifer in his sights.  
  
"No. Obviously Cid has no problem with him being here." answered Squall.   
  
"Something about him was familiar." said Zell.   
  
"I was thinking the same thing myself." admitted Squall. 'Now, where have I been recently?' he wondered. 'There had been the normal visitors to the Garden, but no one looked like Seifer in Balamb.'   
  
"I was going to say he looked like someone we've seen recently." said Rinoa.  
  
"Great Hyne, you're right." said Zell.   
  
"Yes." said Squall. "How odd. I might ask Cid if he knows anything. I still don't understand why Cid would let him back in."  
  
"Squall, I just heard that Seifer was back." said Quistis, running into the room. "Oh, he was here already." she said noticing the solemn faces in the com room.  
  
"Yeah, Cid let him back into the Garden." explained Squall. "We're trying to figure out why."  
  
"I think I might know three reasons why." said Quistis. "One is that Cid hasn't given up on having two gunblade specialists in Balamb, and is willing to give Seifer another chance. The second third is that Cid is just a really forgiving guy. The third and most disturbing reason would be that Cid feels that he somehow owes Seifer something."  
  
"Yes, but what could Cid possibly owe Seifer." mused Rinoa.  
  
"I guess we'll find out tomorrow." said Squall.  
  
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Seifer went to the Discipline Committee's room instead of the dorms, because he knew that Fujin and Raijin would probably be there. They often hung out there because they could talk in there without being the subject of too much gossip. When a guy talked with a girl, certain people would start spreading rumors about them going out. This was kind of wrong considering that Fujin and Raijin were adopted brother and sister, but not many people knew that, which was not suprising at all. Sure enough he was right. They were in the office where Fujin was polishing her shuriken, and Raijin was lounging with his feet on the desk that they had once shared.  
  
"Hey guys." said Seifer as he strode into the room.   
  
Fujin looked up, and Raijin fell out of the chair. He quickly picked himself up, however, saying, "Seifer! How are you? We've missed you, ya know."  
  
"HEY." said Fujin kicking Raijin in the shins for messing up Seifer's arrival.  
  
Seifer smiled. He had had reservations about how they would treat him. After all, he had nearly made them criminals for helping him fufill Ultimacia's orders.  
  
"So what's new?" Seifer asked.  
  
"Nothing much." said Raijin. "Still putting Plebes in their place, ya know."  
  
"AFFIRMATIVE." said Fujin.  
  
"Wouldn't expect any less." said Seifer. "Heard you're SeeDs now. Congratulations."  
  
"Yeah, finally passed the test ya know." said Raijin.  
  
"KILLER." said Fujin.  
  
"So where're you stayin'?" asked Raijin.  
  
"I dunno." said Seifer. "I had Hyperion and my other stuff sent to your dorm though. How about I change, and we go out fishing. Just like old times."  
  
"I'm down with that." said Raijin.  
  
"WONDERFUL." said Fujin.  
  
Then Raijin and Seifer went to their room while Fujin closed up the office.  
  
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"These must be yours." said Raijin indicating the bundle that had been placed on his bed.  
  
"Yeah." said Seifer checking the articles to make sure that they were all there. "Well, look at this." he said holding up a new SeeD uniform.  
  
"There must have been a mistake, ya know." said Raijin.  
  
"No, it's mine." said Seifer indicating the patch that said Almasy over the pocket.  
  
"I didn't know you was a SeeD too." said Raijin.  
  
"Don't worry. I'll explain it to everyone later on." said Seifer. "Can you rent out a car for us while I get changed? I don't want to have to fight any monsters on the way to the shore."  
  
"Sure thing." said Raijin as he strolled toward the door.  
  
"Wait." said Seifer noticing a small disk that was in his bundle with a label that read "Here is your first GF. His name is Diablos, and he has several useful junctions and abilities, namely HP and Hit Junctions, some Strength ability, as well as Mug and Enc-None. Sincerely, Cid."  
  
"You got a GF too." said Raijin. "Fujin and I got one too. Mine is Quetzacotl, and Fujin got Pandemona back too, ya know."   
  
"Excellent." said Seifer. "Maybe we should walk now instead of taking a car. It might be nice fighting a couple of monsters on the way."  
  
"Fujin & I'll meet you at the front gate in fifteen minutes. We'll get the rod and tackle." said Raijin, as he walked out the door.  
  
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"So Cid let you back into Garden after I turned myself in." said Seifer after they had reached the shore and were fishing.  
  
"YES." said Fujin. "LOYALTY."   
  
"What Fujin is trying to say was that the Garden didn't really hold us accountable for treason when Cid learnt that we committed treason out of loyalty." explained Raijin.   
  
"Ahh. I see." said Seifer, not really understanding. "I'd hoped that you had passed the tests. I missed you two."  
  
"SAME." said Fujin. Then a large wave picked up her shuriken which had been laying in front of her. "EXCUSE ME." she said and then she got up and went to go chase after it.  
  
"So, dating anyone?" asked Seifer when she was gone.  
  
"Nah, not really." said Raijin. "Neither is Fujin, but a weird thing happened before you met us at the gate though, ya know."  
  
"What?" asked Seifer.  
  
"Fujin asked me whether she should keep her eyepatch when the time is up." said Raijin.  
  
"So? What's so weird about that?" asked Seifer.  
  
"It wasn't the question, but she spoke in a full sentence." explained Raijin. "She hasn't done that since she gave you that speech in Lunatic Pandora."  
  
"Oh." said Seifer. He remembered that, and everything else that had occurred in that god-forsaken place. How his two friends had deserted him, how he had acted.  
"I was gonna ask you about that. How much longer does she have?"  
  
"She passed the physical." said Raijin.  
  
"And she still speaks in one word sentences?" asked Seifer.  
  
"That particular time frame isn't up yet, and she intends to wait, ya know." answered Raijin. "So what about you?" asked Raijin, changing the subject. "Date anyone in prison?"  
  
"It was an all male prison." said Seifer.  
  
"Oh." said Raijin.  
  
"WELL?" said Fujin as she returned to them holding a wet shuriken.  
  
"Hey guys." said Seifer. "I'm gonna explain some things to Squall and some other people tomorrow. I'm supposed to explain to them why I'm a SeeD among other things. Wanna come?"  
  
"OF COURSE." said Fujin, as if this were obvious.  
  
"Sure." said Raijin. "But when?"  
  
"Whenever they call me down." said Seifer. "I'll probably be hanging with you at the time, so don't worry too much."  
  
"TELL NOW?" asked Fujin.  
  
"Nah, I'd rather not have to explain myself twice. You know how much I hate to do that." said Seifer, mentally kicking himself for sounding like a jerk. Again.  
  
"UNDERSTOOD." said Fujin.  
  
"Hah, I got one ya know!" said Raijin holding up a large fish.  
  
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At eleven o'clock Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, Fujin, Raijin, Cid, and Edea all crowded into Cid's office to hear Seifer's explanation. The story was recorded by Selphie on her video camera. Hyne knows why.  
  
"Action!" said Selphie turning on the camcorder.  
  
"God damn camera." muttered Seifer.  
  
"Wait, say that again!" pleaded Selphie. "I didn't get it on tape!"  
  
"Oh well." said Seifer. "What do you want me to tell you?" he asked his audience.  
  
"How are you a SeeD?" asked Zell.  
  
"Simple. I passed the tests." said Seifer. "What else?"  
  
"But you didn't pass the field test. Ever." said Quistis. "Explain that."  
  
"Well, the first time I failed the test was when I was 15." began Seifer. "However, it was only by one or two points, so Cid said I should pass it the next time. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Selphie.  
  
"Yo, let the man explain." said Zell.   
  
"It's just exposition." said Selphie.  
  
Everyone in the room glared at her.  
  
"Sorry." she muttered, taking the hint.  
  
"Anyway," said Seifer, "the instructors were strict back then. They insisted that you meet them at the gate exactly on time, and I was running late. I had changed into my SeeD cadet uniform, and was racing down the hall toward the gate. Unfortunately, Garden Master Norg was inspecting the Garden that day, and I barreled right into him. He fell right on his fat butt. Now, being one to hold grudges, he promised me that I would never pass the exam. Sure enough, I failed that test even though I had performed perfectly. I asked Cid about it, and he explained that I was a SeeD, and as soon as Norg got over his grudge, I would become one officially. To make me feel better, he made me head of the Disciplinary Committee."  
  
"Well, that would explain why you never took class or anything seriously." said Quistis.  
  
"Yeah, it would." said Squall, thinking.  
  
"I don't get something though," said Irvine, "I mean why did you rebel against the Garden? And why didn't Cid have you court marshaled for treason?"  
  
"I believe that I can answer that." said Cid. "I always felt guilty for not standing up to Norg for Seifer. Besides, he wasn't really himself when he betrayed us."  
  
"Wha'?" asked Raijin.  
  
"POSSESSED?" asked Fujin.  
  
"Good guess." said Seifer.  
  
"When?" asked Edea quietly.  
  
"You all better get comfortable." said Seifer, this might take a while."  
  
When everyone had gotten a bit more settled, he began.  
  
"Shortly after I had "failed" my fourth SeeD test at age 17, I was sent on a recruiting stint in Deling City. The crew and I were housed in General Caraway's house." began Seifer.  
  
"I know where this is going." said Selphie.  
  
Everyone glared at her again, except for Rinoa who started blushing, and she shut up.  
  
"Anyway, it was there that I met Rinoa, and yeah, we did date." continued Seifer. "Unfortunately, General Caraway didn't approve of me and Rinoa, so I wasn't allowed to see her again. When I returned to the Garden, I was depressed to say the least."  
  
"I remember that ya know." interrupted Raijin.  
  
"Yeah, you didn't pick on me for weeks." said Zell.  
  
"Yes, I did behave rather strangely." admitted Seifer. "Anyway, I would frequently go to the Training Center late at night around one hundred hours when no one was around to train, but mostly to think."  
  
"It was on one of those nights that I heard a voice calling my name. I went to check it out, and found an Imp. Unfortunately, I didn't know two important things. One was what type of monster an Imp is. They're Ultimacia's favorite monsters for a few reasons. They use strong magic, and they don't face you when you hit them so you can never sneak up on them. The second important fact I didn't know was that this particular Imp was possessed.  
  
"As I was staring at it, Ultimacia "jumped" from the Imp to me. The only problem was that I wasn't aware of it at the time. She was subtle. Sometimes she would speak to me in my mind, and tell me to do things. Unfortunately, they made sense at the time, so I didn't think that she was really there, controlling me. The only times she really came out was the day that I scarred Squall in training and when I made Rinoa junction with Adel."  
  
"Sure." said Squall, fingering the gash on his forehead. "Just out of curiosity, how can we trust you?"  
  
"You can't, but trust your wife at least." said Seifer cryptically.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Zell, getting irritated. He had no patience for riddles.  
  
"One of Adel's powers that were a gift from Ultimacia was the ability to read minds." explained Seifer. "Rinoa got that power from Adel after junctioning with her."  
  
"I did?" asked Rinoa.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you haven't had a chance to explore all of the powers you got from Adel. " said Seifer.  
  
"How do I do it?" asked Rinoa.  
  
"Simple, just close your eyes and "push" your mind into mine." said Seifer. "It isn't as hard as it ow! Jeez, you don't have to push that hard. Now, until you fully develop this power, you have to have the person whose mind you're reading's consent. When you get really good though, it shouldn't be that hard. For now however, just tell everyone if I tell a lie. Be our human lie detector."  
  
"Okay." said Rinoa. "So far he's told the truth." she continued, shuddering a bit.  
  
"What is it Rinoa?" asked Squall, concerned.  
  
"It's depressing in his mind." explained Rinoa.  
  
"Yeah, anyway, that's basically all you have to do, so you can now release your strangle hold on my mind." said Seifer. "Do you all believe me now?" he asked the group.  
  
"Believe you, yes." said Quistis. "Trust you, no."  
  
"God damn, what do I have to do for you people?" asked Seifer.  
  
"You could start by apologizing." said Rinoa. "You did force me to junction to Adel."  
  
"Don't you people get it?! That wasn't me!" yelled Seifer.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot." said Rinoa completely unapolegetically.   
  
"So what are you going to do now?" asked Irvine.  
  
"What SeeDs do." said Seifer. "Fight."  
  
"Yes, you will." said Cid. "However, can everyone leave the room for a minute. I need to talk to Seifer."  
  
"Yes sir." said Squall taking Selphie's video camera away as he walked out the door.  
  
"Hey! Give that back!" yelled Selphie charging out the door to retrieve her camera.  
  
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"Seifer, I need to ask you a question." began Cid.  
  
"All right." said Seifer.  
  
"Did you ever learn anything about your parents?" asked Cid.  
  
"No." said Seifer.  
  
"I believe that you should know. You're ready now." said Cid. "You see, the only known parents of you orphans were Squall's and yours. Your father is Martine, former headmaster of Galbadia Garden."  
  
"What?" asked Seifer. He remembered Martine. He had outsted his own father when he took over Galbadia Garden.  
  
"I am assigning you, Fujin Raitaro, and Raijin Raitaro away to Fisherman's Horizon. You may meet with Martine, but your primary objective is to search for any possible candidates for SeeD." said Cid.  
  
"Yes sir." said Seifer, saluting.  
  
"Excellent. You are dismissed." said Cid, smiling.  
  
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"Come on Raijin and Fujin." said Seifer walking towards the dorm rooms. "We're going to Fisherman's Horizon. Change into your SeeD uniforms and meet me at the gate in fifteen minutes. I'll explain on the way."  
  
"Yes sir." said Raijin.  
  
"AFFIRMATIVE." said Fujin.  
  
"See ya later, leader boy." said Seifer to Squall as he walked away from a stunned party of people.  
  
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"So what are we doin' in Fisherman's Horizon?" asked Raijin on the train to FH.  
  
"Cid sent us on a recruitin' mission." said Seifer. "I will also meet with Martine."  
  
"MARTINE?" asked Fujin.  
  
"Yeah, we have some business to discuss." said Seifer.  
  
"Like what?" asked Raijin.  
  
"Cid has just informed me that Martine is my father." confessed Seifer.  
  
"OH." said Fujin.  
  
"Wait, isn't Martine that guy that we kicked out of Galbadia Garden?" asked Raijin.  
  
"Yeah." said Seifer. 'How could I do that to my own father? I really was a bastard.' he thought. 'You didn't know.' his mind replied. 'Then why do I feel so guilty?' he asked, and he pondered this until the train reached FH.  
  
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"The train has arrived in Fisherman's Horizon." beeped the train's intercom. "All passengers exiting at this stop please get off now."  
  
"All right," said Seifer, "let's go."  
  
"Where do we go now?" asked Raijin.  
  
"To see Mayor Dobe." said Seifer. "Cid asked him to find us a place to stay."  
  
"HIS HOUSE." said Fujin.  
  
"Yeah, he's probably there." said Seifer. "Let's go."  
  
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"I'm sorry, but the Mayor isn't here." said Flo, the mayor's wife. "He should be back in an hour though."  
  
"Thank you ma'am." said Seifer as he and his squad walked out of the Mayor's House.  
  
"Now what do we do?" asked Raijin.  
  
"GO FISHING?" asked Fujin hopefully.  
  
"Sure, I'll catch up with you later." said Seifer.  
  
"Why?" asked Raijin at which point Fujin kicked him in the shins for being dense.  
  
Seifer smiled. He hadn't realized till then just how much he had missed his posse.  
  
"I'm gonna see my dad." answered Seifer.  
  
"WE'LL COME." said Fujin.  
  
"Ow, yeah, let's go." said Raijin limping slightly. 'I'd better start wearing shinguards.' he thought.  
  
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Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin walked past the mayor's house to a point overlooking the water. A man was sitting on the edge of a small dock gazing into the distance. Fujin nudged Raijin gently and nodded towards ex-headmaster Martine. Raijin nodded. He did resemble Seifer.  
  
"Excuse me, sir." said Seifer to Martine. "Are you ex-headmaster Martine?"  
  
"Yes, I'm Martine." said Martine not looking up. "Who are you?" he asked.  
  
"My name is Seifer Almasy." responded Seifer causing Martine to glance up at him.   
  
"S-E-I-F-E-R A-L-M-A-S-Y?" questioned Martine.  
  
"Yeah, that's me." said Seifer.  
  
"Cid must have told you then." said Martine.  
  
"Yeah." admitted Seifer.  
  
"Who are they?" asked Martine looking at Fujin and Raijin.  
  
"They're my friends Raijin and Fujin Raitaro. They're brother and sister." said Seifer.  
  
"Oh." said Martine looking out into the ocean again. "I suppose you might have some questions for me. Ask away."  
  
"Why didn't you keep me?" asked Seifer.  
  
"It's hard to explain." began Martine. "One reason was that I was too busy to take proper care of you. I was a soldier then, and I simply didn't have time for you. Besides, I only knew your mother for a short time. Another reason that I didn't learn where you were until you were about ten. The fourth reason was I didn't want you to suffer from the family curse."  
  
"What curse?" asked Seifer, thinking 'I would have loved you even if you had waited till I was ten to get me. That's not an excuse.'  
  
"The Strief family has been cursed with bad luck for generations." answered Martine. "It all started when your great-great-great-great-great, well you get the idea, grandfather annoyed the Great Hyne. I figured that removing you from the family would change your luck."  
  
"Fat lot of good that did." said Seifer. "My last name is Strief? Who changed it to Almasy?"  
  
"That was my idea." said Martine. "In fact, I came up with your first and last name. Our family name is a jumble of the word strife, fitting isn't it? Seifer is a jumbled version of the same word, substituting the t for an e. Almasy which was given as your last name is a mixed up version of say alms. Strange, isn't it."  
  
"Yeah." said Seifer thinking. "What happened to my mother? Who was my mother? Do I have any more surviving family?"  
  
"Your mother's name was Laria. I never knew her last name. I only knew her for a short time. She was, er, I mean, she died." said Martine. "However, before she did, she gave you to Cid and Edea without telling me. As for surviving family, there is just myself and Lt. Biggs who's your second uncle three times removed. I don't know Laria's family, and never will because I didn't know her last name."  
  
"You're kidding, right?" asked Seifer.  
  
"No, I'm not." said Martine. "Do you feel any better?"  
  
"Hell no." said Seifer. "I've just found out that my father abandoned me because of some silly curse and that I come from a family of losers and a second unknown family."  
  
"If it makes you feel better, the only inherent problem is bad luck, on my side anyway." said Martine.  
  
"*sigh* Thank you sir." said Seifer turning around to leave. "Wait, one more question."  
  
"What?" asked Martine looking at his son, who was now a man.  
  
"Who gave me the fire cross?" asked Seifer.  
  
"I did." said Martine, smiling slightly. "When you were first born, I saw you. I knew you would be a warrior someday, and it is my family's legacy."  
  
"Thanks....Dad." said Seifer walking toward Mayor Dobe's house.  
  
"Your welcome, son." said Martine watching Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin walking away. 'At least he's happy now.' he thought. Cid had been keeping him posted on Seifer's successes...and failures for years. 'He has a good job, friends, and perphaps more. Maybe he was spared my bad luck. Maybe he can settle down, happily. No thanks to me. How much of my life have I wasted?' he wondered. 'My son is a man now, and I've just let him grow on his own.' And he sat there thinking about all his failures. 'At least he's happy now.' he concluded. However, ten minutes later, he realized, 'No, isn't, and won't be. Not for a long time. Not until he straightens his life out.'  
  
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Afternote: Well? I hope you enjoyed it, and please review.  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Almost Closure

Setting: Before Cloud & Co. head into the North Crater to defeat Sephiroth.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, Squaresoft does. Now read the fic.  
  
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"Almost Closure"  
  
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"All right guys, here we go!" said Cloud as he and his friends climbed off the Highwind to the Crater to defeat Sephiroth once and for all.  
  
The group climbed down the rope quickly.  
  
'I can't believe we're doing this.' thought Cloud. 'It's amazing. A week ago I was hired by Avalanche, and now look. I'm saving the world. I will defeat Sephiroth for Aeris, Nibelheim, and everyone else. Finally.'  
  
'Here we are.' thought Vincent. 'The Crater. This may be the last time that I see the light of day.' he realized before heading into the dark cave that would lead to God knew where. He checked his Death Penalty again. It was fine, and so was he. In fact, he hadn't felt this good in years.  
  
'I don't believe I'm doing this!' thought Yuffie. 'I am such an idiot to be doing this! I better get their materia when this is all over. My plans don't include dying now!'  
  
'I wish Grandfather could see this.' thought Nanaki (Red XIII) looking around the North Crater sadly. 'He would have loved it. Wish me luck and guide me Seto.' he prayed as he jumped into the cave.  
  
'Damn, it's dark in here.' thought Cid looking around the cave with the others. 'Where is that son of a bitch Sephiroth? Bastard got my Tiny Bronco shot down. Where is he?' he wondered giving one last glance around the cave before following the others down the path.  
  
'Well, we're here.' thought Tifa. The others around her were silent, lost in thought like herself. Up ahead was Cloud, leading the way. 'He looks so different.' she mused. 'Two days ago he was a vegetable in Mideel, and now he's so intense. I must be an idiot or in love to follow him down here.' she realized looking around.  
  
'God damn, why's it so dark in here?' wondered Barret. 'I hope that Marlene's all right. Dyne, Midgar, why?' he thought sadly. 'Stop thinkin' like that. You goin' soft or somethin'?' he scolded himself as he hurried to keep up with the group.  
  
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"They come." said Jenova to Sephiroth.  
  
"I know Mother." said Sephiroth polishing his Masamune. "Don't worry. I'll take care of them."  
  
"Good." said Jenova.  
  
'Well Cloud, you've made it this far.' thought Sephiroth. 'In fact, you made it much farther than I'd anticipated. Somehow, I am sorry that I have to kill you. You were a good puppet. What a shame.'  
  
"Do not feel sorry for the boy." said Jenova.  
  
"You were reading my thoughts again?" asked Sephiroth, unsuprised.  
  
"Yes." said Jenova. "Do not underestimate him. He has several fighters, as well as powerful materia including the Knights of the Round."  
  
"What a waste of time and gil. Anyway, it does not matter." said Sephiroth, totally nonplused. "I will not be beaten, even in defeat. They are too late."  
  
"You hope so." said Jenova.  
  
"I know so." said Sephiroth. "I have done everything that you told me to."  
  
"Good." said Jenova. "Remember, follow the plan correctly, and we shall rule the world."  
  
"Yes." said Sephiroth. 'And what if there is no world when Meteor hits?' he wondered. Try as he might, that thought kept surfacing in his mind.  
  
"You worry." said Jenova.  
  
"It is nothing." said Sephiroth. "It must be my human side acting up. It's amazing they've survived this long."  
  
"Yes, but not much longer." said Jenova. "Here they are."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"We're here now." said Cloud. "There's no turning back now."  
  
"Let's go then!" said Cid hurrying down the path.  
  
"All right, Cid and Tifa, you're with me." said Cloud, as he and his party hopped down the tile like steps.  
  
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Sephiroth heard the party advancing. They had just defeated Jenova, but that was all right. He still carried her cells, and she would regrow. Now he just had to eliminate this small party. He approached them.  
  
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Cloud and the others finally found Sephiroth in the planet's core. They were thrown back, and hung suspended in the air.  
  
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Sephiroth faced the two parties in battle. He was in a mutated form that he called Bizarro-Sephiroth. He was not afraid.  
  
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Now Sephiroth faced Cloud's party again. After so many years, he finally understood what it was like to be afraid. The fear was unexplainable. True, Cloud would defeat this form, but he should rise again. His mother had promised.  
  
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'Finally.' thought Cloud as he faced his nemesis alone. Somehow the holy magic from the planet was filling his limit. And he knew just how to use it. The fulfillment of what had plagued his conscience for days could be summed up in one word. Omnislash!  
  
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'So this is how it ends.' thought Sephiroth. Cloud had just hit him with an attack that was more powerful than he ever dreamed. He staggered, and fell. Now that death was imminent, he was calm. The pain was far away. Somehow, he knew that he would not be coming back, and he was glad. He was so relaxed, and wonderfully content. In the instant before he died, he realized his folly, but now he was tired and just wanted to sleep. He traveled down, down. He was almost there, just a little farther. Then, out of nowhere, a bolt of pain, and a white light filled his head.  
  
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Cloud collapsed as well. He had done what he had promised he would, but he wasn't as relieved as he thought he'd be. Instead, he was exhausted. 'For you Aeris.' he thought before passing out.  
  
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"I found him!" yelled Yuffie to her friends who were searching for Cloud.  
  
"He looks awful." commented Cait Sith.  
  
"It's Sephiroth!" exclaimed Vincent drawing Death Penalty.  
  
"Put away your gun you idiot." said Barret. "Can't you see he's dead."  
  
"God damn." said Cid. "Cloud killed him. Again."  
  
"We should get him out of here." said Tifa.  
  
"What about him?" asked Vincent pointing to Sephiroth's limp form.  
  
"Leave him here." said Tifa. "He's dead anyway."  
  
"Yes ma'am." said Red XIII.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
However, Sephiroth was not dead. Not yet anyway. His consciousness floated in the white light. He seemed to be walking down a road. At the end, a figure in a gray cloak stood, and he approached it unafraid.  
  
"Where am I?" he asked the hooded figure.  
  
"You don't know?" it responded. The voice was musical, but very serious.  
  
"I am dead." he said."I must be in the Lifestream."  
  
"You're half right." said the cloaked figure. "You are in the Lifestream, but you aren't dead."  
  
"What?" asked Sephiroth incredulously. "Why aren't I dead?" suddenly, he was hit with an unexplained sense of sadness. In some way, he wished he were dead. It had felt so wonderful before he died. God knew he deserved it for what he had done. Why did this person say he was alive?  
  
"I am here to explain your situation to you." said the hooded figure. "Call me Guide."  
  
"Guide, why aren't I dead?" asked Sephiroth."I felt like I was about to go. Why didn't I?"  
  
"Jenova." said Guide.  
  
"No." said Sephiroth. "I realized before I died what she intended to do. She meant to kill me so her cells could regenerate through my body's connection to the Planet."  
  
"That was her plan." said Guide. "Explain her plan to yourself, and try to find an answer."  
  
"She had me connect my body to the planet." said Sephiroth obediently. "She had me do this because she said it would allow me to come back to life through the planet's energy. But, the way she had me connect was through her cells. When I died, the planet would give its' energy to those cells, not me. Instead, her cells would take my life energy to increase their growth. I should be dead."  
  
"Jenova made one mistake." said Guide. "Connecting her cells to the Planet was a bad idea, because the planet's energy rejected them, which explains why she is dead, and you are not."  
  
"She's dead?" asked Sephiroth, stunned. 'She tried to kill me, but she was still my mother.' he thought.  
  
"That is your problem." said Guide. "Come, there is something that you need to see. You have to end your loyalty to Jenova."  
  
"You read my mind." said Sephiroth, stunned.  
  
"Yeah, that happens here." said Guide, turning away. "Now, will you come or not?"  
  
"Sure, might as well." said Sephiroth.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Here we are." said Guide.  
  
"So?" asked Sephiroth, looking around. He was standing in front of a portal. It was just sitting in the middle of the "road" they had been traveling on.  
  
"Go through it." said Guide, pointing to the black hole. "Unless you are afraid." it continued mockingly.  
  
"I'm not afraid." said Sephiroth, even though he was. 'Whatever is beyond this will mess everything up for me, won't it.' he thought, but he went through. He was instantly brought to another place entirely.  
  
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"Vincent..." came a voice. Sephiroth looked up to see who was speaking. It was a lady dressed in a lab coat. She stood in the midst of a white light that seemed to emanate from her.  
  
"That voice? It can't be." came another voice. It was a man, and Sephiroth turned his head to look at him. It was that Turk who had been re-engineered. "Lucrecia?" asked the Turk.  
  
"Vincent...?" asked the lady who must have been Lucrecia.  
  
"Lucrecia!!" cried Vincent as he raced toward her. Sephiroth looked behind him and saw Cloud and Cid coming up behind Vincent.  
  
"Don't worry, he can't see you." said Guide who had appeared next to Sephiroth. "No matter what you hear, do not say anything."  
  
"Stay back!" yelled Lucrecia, but it was too late. The white light suddenly swallowed the cave up, and Sephiroth found himself in another place. He saw a young man following two men, and a woman in lab coats. They headed into the Shinra Mansion.  
  
Then suddenly, the scene changed. The man in the suit and the woman in the lab coat were talking. Sephiroth realized that they must be Vincent and Lucrecia, but they were younger.  
  
The scene changed again, and Vincent and Lucrecia were talking. Suddenly, Lucrecia ran away.  
  
The scene shifted again, and this time Sephiroth saw Vincent watching as Lucrecia and another scientist hugged. As he looked closer, he recognized the man as Hojo.  
  
'If she is happy then...I don't mind.' he heard, and realized that these images were from Vincent's memory.  
  
Then, Sephiroth saw Lucrecia sitting in a chair.  
  
The scene changed again, and this time Vincent was arguing with Hojo.   
  
"I'm against it!" yelled Vincent. "Why experiment on humans?"  
  
"She and I are both scientists!" yelled Hojo back.  
  
'After that, a child was born to Lucrecia.' came Vincent's voice. 'That child's name is...Sephiroth.'  
  
Sephiroth felt his knees weaken and threaten to give in as Vincent's words hit him. He closed his eyes, and willed away the voices, but eventually, he listened again.  
  
"I wanted to disappear..." Lucrecia was saying. His mother, not Jenova. "I couldn't be with anyone. I wanted to die. But the Jenova inside me wouldn't let me die." she continued. "Lately, I dream a lot of Sephiroth. My dear, dear child. Ever since he was born I never got to hold him. Even once."  
  
'I never knew.' thought Sephiroth miserably. 'Professor Gast, he never told me.'  
  
"....I heard that he died 5 years ago. But I see him in my dreams too oftern. And I know that physically, like me, he can't die so easily. Please tell me..." said Lucrecia.  
  
'You have no idea.' thought Sephiroth sadly.  
  
"Lucrecia," said Vincent, "Sephiroth is dead."  
  
Then the world went black on Sephiroth.  
  
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"I don't understand." said Sephiroth. He was back in the Lifestream. "Professor Gast said that Jenova was my mother."  
  
"In some ways, she was." said Guide. "Just as Hojo was your father."  
  
'And that was why he was always by me.' thought Sephiroth. 'I knew that he created me, but my father? I never even suspected.'  
  
"So, all that I did for Jenova was for nothing?" asked Sephiroth feeling sick again. 'All the deaths I caused, for nothing?' he thought guiltily.  
  
"Yes." said Guide.  
  
"Why are you showing me this!" yelled Sephiroth suddenly enraged. 'This doesn't matter to me. I should be dead. Why am I being tortured like this?' he wondered.  
  
"I only know what the Planet tells me." said Guide. " You've got to stop thinking that you are dead."   
  
"Why?" asked Sephiroth.  
  
"Because you have a job." said Guide.  
  
"And what would that be?" asked Sephiroth.  
  
"What do you know about the Planet?" asked Guide.  
  
"It's at least two thousand years old." said Sephiroth. "A long time ago, the Cetra came to it and nearly all died defending it."  
  
"And how old do you think the Planet is?" asked Guide.  
  
"I dunno." said Sephiroth losing his patience. "A million years?"  
  
"The Planet is at least 20 billion years old." said Guide.  
  
"You mean you don't know how old?" asked Sephiroth skeptically.  
  
"Oh, it's older than that." said Guide. "It's modern history started at least 20 billion years ago. How long it was around before than is anyone's guess."  
  
"So?" asked Sephiroth.  
  
"The Planet works in cycles." said Guide. "A cycle begins when a species dominates the Planet, and ends when they destroy all life on it. There have been millions of cycles in the Planet's history. So many in fact, that anomalies have started to occur. People are being born and are turning out like others from a completely different period. Now for every person there are two people who were so alike, that you would swear they were the same person. This pair of people are called tet. Everyone is part of a tet, but they almost never occur in the same period."  
  
"That's impossible." said Sephiroth. "No two people are exactly the same."  
  
"I never said they were exactly the same. And besides, sometimes there are more than two in a tet." said Guide. "They are just remarkably similar. They don't have to look alike, but they are the same."  
  
"Where do I fit into this?" asked Sephiroth.  
  
"Do you know what a time riff is?" asked Guide.  
  
"Stop answering my questions with a question." said Sephiroth frustrated. "I don't know what a time riff is."  
  
"A time riff is a natural bridge between two cycles." said Guide. "Normally, they are very small, and simply fade. Unfortunately, due to Time Compression the riffs have gotten bigger, and that is a problem. You see, it means that people who were killed before, aren't dead now because they still exist in some time period, and they can return."  
  
"So Jenova is still alive?" asked Sephiroth. 'And just what is time compression?' he wondered. It didn't sound good to him.  
  
"I'm afraid so." said Guide "And there are more that are coming. Luckily, there are others who fought against these people who are still alive. Some of them are even tets of those who defeated you. Your job is to collect them."   
  
"You can't be serious." said Sephiroth.  
  
"Oh, but I am." said Guide.  
  
"Where do I go?" asked Sephiroth.  
  
"You'll know." said Guide. "Now, get started. We have wasted too much time already."  
  
"Wait!" yelled Sephiroth. "How much time was lost? What is Time Compression? Who are you?"  
  
"You'll see me again." said Guide, and walked away.  
  
'Where do I go now?' wondered Sephiroth. He wasn't sure what to do, so he continued walking down the path that he had been traveling on and pondered.   
  
'So, what now?' he wondered. 'It's not fair. I'm a soldier, I do what I'm told. I'm good at it.' he thought. 'But isn't that what got you into trouble in the first place?' his mind asked. 'It doesn't matter.' he realized. 'Whatever happened in the past doesn't matter because I have to worry about the future. How do I get these people? What would make them come? What would we be up against? Who are they?' he wondered as he strode down the path.  
  
He was mildly suprised to find another path had opened up.  
  
'Guess I'd better go in now.' he thought walking down the new path, and he was immediately knocked out.  
  
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'Where am I?' wondered Sephiroth when he awoke. He was outside, somewhere in what seemed to be the middle of a thunderstorm. Lightning streaked through the sky, and thunder boomed. There was another sound too, but it didn't take Sephiroth long to recognize it. He knew the noise well because he had heard it nearly all his life. The sound was the harsh clang of steel on steel. Sephiroth walked toward it, and was suprised to see two men fighting with swords. One wore black, and the other gray. Both were obviously highly skilled, and fought as though possessed. 'What's going on?' Sephiroth wondered. As soon as he thought this, the fighter in the gray glanced his way. Sephiroth stood his ground and studied the young man. There was something familiar about him, but Sephiroth wasn't sure what. It didn't matter, however, because the other fighter in black knocked the gray one down, and suddenly Sephiroth felt himself back in the Lifestream.  
  
'That was strange.' thought Sephiroth as he continued walking down the path. 'I need a plan.' he realized. 'What do I know will draw out people?' he wondered. 'Hate.' he thought. 'And the unknown. What do Cloud and his fighters hate enough to come to me?' Suddenly, Sephiroth knew what to do, and he was just as suddenly in Mideel.  
  
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Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed it. R&R please.  
  
  



	3. Meeting

Setting: A month after "Almost Closure" takes place

Disclaimer: I own what Squaresoft doesn't.

Note: I am so sorry that this took so long. Thanks for the reviews. Next chapter will have both FF7/8 characters.

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"The Meeting"

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'Life is good.' thought Cloud as he walked through the Wall Market. It was nearly a month after he had saved the Planet, and things were finally calming down. Avalanche was rewarded, he and his friends were hailed as heroes, and the Mako reactors had all been shut down. He was in the Wall Market to buy Tifa an engagement ring. He had obtained most of the gil from battling monsters that still ravaged the country. However, there were considerably less than there were a month ago. Sometimes he wondered what he would do when there were no more monsters to kill. Still, he did not dwell on this thought. It was better to live in the present than the future, or the past. 'Where can I get a nice ring?' he wondered. As he pondered this he was pushed in the back, and he fell. "Hey! Watch it!" he said to no one in particular as he scoured the crowd for his assailant. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a swift motion, and on impulse he turned his head to see a black cloaked figure striding through the crowd. Strapped to his back was a long sword. Cloud stopped breathing. Only one person could wield a sword that long. 'Sephiroth!' his mind yelled. Cloud ran to catch up with the black cloaked man, but could not reach him because of the densely packed crowd.

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"Daddy! Look at me!" yelled Marlene performing a series of cartwheels. Barret looked up from the plane engine he was fixing to watch her from across the yard.

"That's great." he said and turned his attention back to the engine.

"How's it going over there?" asked Cid who was aligning the tail of the Tiny Bronco.

"Not too bad." said Barret. 'Everything's great.' he thought. After defeating Sephiroth a month ago he had moved to Rocket Town with Marlene. Midgar was no place for Marlene to grow up in, and neither was North Corel, especially for them. He was grateful that Cid had invited him to move in with him and Shera. In Rocket Town Marlene was receiving an education and Shera looked after her as if she were her own daughter. For the first time in years Barret felt at peace. If only he could find out what was wrong with this engine.

"Yo! You're missing a part over here." said Barret to Cid.

"Where?" asked Cid coming over to the work table.

"Right here." said Barret pointing to a piece of metal that had evidently had a piece sheared off.

"Well I'll be a son of a gun." said Cid.

"Daddy, what's a son of a gun?" asked Marlene innocently.

"Something that Uncle Cid shouldn't say honey." said Barret scowling at Cid.

"Sorry, your Uncle Cid's a stupid ass." said Cid without thinking. His mind was somewhere else. Probably on the engine.

"Daddy, what's a stupid ass?" asked Marlene.

"Er, nothing honey." said Barret glaring at Cid. "You jus' run along and.." Barret said.

"What?" asked Cid looking up apologetically at Barret and following his line of vision. "Pardon my lang.."he started to say when he saw what Barret had seen.

'Holy goddamn fuck. It's Sephiroth.' he thought seeing the familiar black cloaked figure of the man who had nearly destroyed the Planet.

'What the hell is he doing here? He's dead.' thought Barret frantically. 'Oh my God, Marlene.' he realized. She was on the other side of the yard where He was.

Sephiroth looked at Cid and Barret and then turned and walked away. Ten seconds later he was gone.

"We have a problem." said Barret to Cid still looking at the place where Sephiroth had stood.

"No shit Sherlock. We better tell Cloud." said Cid going into the house to contact Cloud.

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"Vincent!" yelled Lucrecia into the darkness.

"What?" asked Vincent. Something had been wrong with Lucrecia for some time. Ever since Sephiroth had been killed, she had woken up screaming that Sephiroth was coming. Despite Vincent's continuous reassurance that Sephiroth was dead, she insisted that he was alive. Vincent worried about her.

"It's Sephiroth!" cried Lucrecia. "He's here, outside."

"Lucrecia, Sephiroth is dead." said Vincent for the millionth time.

"Please, just, just check outside." said Lucrecia.

"All right, but this is the last time." said Vincent sighing. He did not know what to do. Sometimes he wondered whether he should take her to see a doctor, but after Hojo, he didn't trust any doctor. Besides, who would know how to treat her? However, now he didn't seem to have a choice. 'Tomorrow morning I will ride to Mideel on Nightwing.' he thought walking out of the cave. Nightwing was the black chocobo that he was given by Cloud after he had recovered..

Vincent scrutinized the terrain around the cave and the lake in the middle. It was the middle of the night, but he could see fine. This was one of the good parts about being altered. Still, he missed his old body.

A rustling movement caused him to turn his head towards the other end of the lake. What he saw made his blood, or what was left of it, run cold. A black cloaked figure was staring across the river at him. When the figure saw him look it turned around, and Vincent saw the silver blade that confirmed his worst fears. It was Sephiroth, and he was alive.

'Now what?' he wondered, his mind spinning. 'Cloud, I have to tell Cloud.' he concluded. Cloud would know what to do, or at least he hoped so.

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Across the lake, Sephiroth smiled inwardly. His plan was working so far.

'The old standbys of hate and fear will never fail.' he thought walking away from the lake towards his next location.

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"Run you god damned son of a gun!" yelled Cait Sith to Quickstream his blue chocobo as he zoomed past the final marker in the race. Quickstream was the best racer out of the special chocobos that Cloud had bred. Cait Sith had the utmost respect for Cloud for many reasons. First and foremost, Cloud had trusted him. Second, Cloud was fair, and when he divided the items up after his recovery he had maintained that quality. That's what made Cloud a good leader.

"Come on, come on, you're almost there!" screamed Cait Sith as Quickstream pulled ahead of Mike's black chocobo Teioh just as he passed the finish line.

"Yes!" yelled Cait Sith jumping up and down. 

"Another victory?" asked the attendant at the prize desk noticing Cait Sith's antics.

"Yeah, Quickstream did it again." said Cait Sith collecting his prize.

Cait Sith then went to the Chocobo stables to see Quickstream. 

"Good job, Quick." said Cait Sith petting the exhausted chocobo. Quickstrike cheeped happily, and then suddenly froze.

"What is it Quick?" asked Cait Sith turning his head to see Sephiroth looking at him across the stables.

'No way, no way.' thought Cait Sith frantically. 'Sephiroth is dead, he's dead. We killed him.'

Sephiroth turned and walked out of the stables.

'Cloud, I've got to tell Cloud." Thought Cait Sith.

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"Sir, what is the Lifestream?" asked Satu, one of Nanaki's students.

"That's an excellent question." said Nanaki to his inquisitive students. "Unfortunately, not much is known about the Lifestream. All that we know is that most of the Planet's energy is stored there and that several of the Planet's secrets might be revealed from there. That is why several of the researchers from Cosmo Canyon have gone to Mideel to study it. All right, that's all the time we have for today. Class dismissed."

Nanaki smiled as the children and cubs ran out of the classroom. As Bugenhagen's grandson, he had taken over educating Cosmo Canyon's children. It was a job that he loved.

"Hey, Nanaki!" yelled Ed, one of the researchers. "Can you get a core sample from the ground near the Ancient Forest?"

"Sure." said Nanaki running to the quartermaster to get the supplies.

Five minutes later Nanaki was at the Ancient Forest. 'I wonder why Ed needs another core sample so soon.' he wondered. He wasn't complaining. He liked the tranquility of the Ancient Forest. Then, a soft breeze started to blow, and he sensed something in it. Something familiar. Sephiroth.

Nanaki stared at the source of the smell. It was Sephiroth all right. He charged at him, but Sephiroth disappeared into the forest. Grabbing the sample, Nanaki ran towards Cosmo Canyon to contact Cloud.

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"Hey Cloud." said Tifa as he walked into her bar 7th Heaven two days after he had gone to the Wall Market.

Cloud nodded in her direction.

"What's wrong?" asked Tifa sensing something was wrong.

"Sephiroth is back." said Cloud. 

"Impossible." said Tifa. "You killed him, remember?"

"I know." said Cloud. "I wouldn't believe it, but saw him in the Wall Market two days ago."

"Oh." said Tifa. "You're sure that it just wasn't someone who looked like him?" she asked hopefully.

"It was him." said Cloud. "Besides, Barret, Cid, Vincent, Cait Sith, and Nanaki have all called me to say that they've seen him."

"What about Yuffie?" asked Tifa.

"No word from her yet." said Cloud shaking his head. "You haven't seen him?"

"No, I haven't." said Tifa. 

"Be on the lookout anyway." said Cloud. "I've just called Yuffie to warn her."

"Has he attacked anyone?" asked Tifa.

"No." said Cloud. "According to everyone he just appears and then leaves. I've called a meeting for today in here. Is that okay?"

"Of course." said Tifa. 'Now what?' she wondered.

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'The view from here is wonderful.' thought Yuffie as she sat breathing the air on the summit of the Dao-chao Mountains. Cloud had given her the group's materia, and Wutai had been changed. She had fulfilled her dream, and was content with her life. Sadly, she knew that this tranquility would not last. Cloud had just called her to say that Sephiroth was back, and to ask her to come to a meeting on it. She had considered refusing, but accepted the invitation. Yuffie didn't believe that Sephiroth could be alive, but then she remembered that no one had checked to make sure he was dead.

'Here we go again.' sighed Yuffie as she climbed down the mountain. Then she saw Sephiroth. He was looking down on her from a high ledge. Without thinking, she threw her shuriken up at him. Her aim was perfect, and the weapon flew straight at his face. Then, he suddenly snapped out his hand and caught her shuriken in midair, and tossed it down at her. It thudded next to her feet. Yuffie stared. She had never seen anyone even attempt to do that. For him to catch a circle of spinning blades in midair took superhuman reflexes and hand eye coordination. Any hopeful doubts that this was not Sephiroth were destroyed, and she picked up her weapon and ran down the mountain.

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'Well, here we are again.' thought Tifa as she shooed the last customer out of her bar. Her friends had shown up in drips and drabs. Looking at the group brought back memories. 'When was the last time we were all together?' she wondered as they seated themselves around a large table.

Greetings were spread around the table, and the group members whispered to each other for a couple minutes until Cloud cleared his throat and stood up.

"Thank you all for coming." he began. "I assume that you all know why we're here. Without a doubt, Sephiroth is back. I don't know how, but did anyone check him to make sure he was dead before they left?"

Everyone in the group looked away from him guiltily. They were ashamed that they had not verified Sephiroth's death. Only Cid voiced his thoughts.

"Er, he uh, looked dead." said Cid apologetically.

"I see." said Cloud. "Well, that's good in a way. At least he wasn't brought back from the dead. That means he can be killed."

"I dunno." said Barret. "He could have been a mirage or somethin'."

"No." said Yuffie. "I threw my shuriken at him and he caught it and tossed it back. He's solid."

"But he's not the same as he was the last time we met him. The sightings were recorded over a period of two days. If he were his old self, he could have just flew from one place to the other." mused Cait Sith.

"Hm." said Cloud thoughtfully. "Well, I for one am not going to let him go onto another rampage. He must be stopped."

"How do we do that?" asked Tifa. "We don't know where he is, or what he wants."

"Let's start with what we know." said Vincent. "First of all, Sephiroth is back, and he wants us to know. Second, we have to take care of him."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'And so it begins.' thought Sephiroth as he listened to the group through an open window. He had taken special care in picking a spot to eavesdrop because he knew that the cat would be able to smell him.

"Good job." said a familiar voice. It was Guide.

"Shh." said Sephiroth motioning towards the open window.

"Don't worry, they can't hear us." said Guide.

"Now what do I do?" asked Sephiroth.

"I need you to lure them to the Lifestream." said Guide.

"How can I do that?" asked Sephiroth. "I can't fly anymore, they'll catch me before I get there."

"Make them an offer they can't refuse." said Guide. "Now this is what you'll need to do..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What could his motives be?" asked Cloud. "You'd think he'd want to lie low for a while. Unless he thinks he can win."

"Win what?" asked Tifa. "Jenova is definitely dead, Holy could not have beaten Meteor if she were alive."

"I thought it was Sephiroth that was blocking Holy." said Yuffie.

"But Sephiroth got his power from Jenova." reminded Nanaki.

"So does that mean Sephiroth is powerless?" asked Barret.

"You'd think it would." said Cloud. "Still, Sephiroth has obviously retained some power. The question remains, what will he do with it?"

Everyone thought about this for a minute. Suddenly there was a bang on the door.

"What was that?" asked Cait Sith.

"Do you think it's HIM?" asked Yuffie.

"Who gives a damn?" asked Cid. "I'm checking it out."

"Wait!" said Cloud, but he was too late. Cid opened the door, but there was no one there. Instead a piece of paper hung on the door pinned by a dagger.

"What's it say?" asked Tifa.

"It says, 'If you want to know, go to Mideel tomorrow at noon.' It's signed with an 'S'." read Cid.

"One guess who that it." said Yuffie.

"Sephiroth." said Cloud going over to the door to pull out the dagger. It took him several yanks to pull it out. Inspecting it, he noticed that the blade had been warped on impact. He also recognized the dagger. It was Sephiroth's. He had bought it in Nibelheim. 

"Are we going?" asked Tifa.

"Do we have a choice?" asked Cloud.


End file.
